Why had this never occurred to me before? I wondered, as I took a sip of the delicious coffee Logan had made. In fact, everything had been delicious, surprisingly so. Not only was Logan tall, gorgeous, and the best love maker in existence, he could also make a mean breakfast.

I had only known the man a short while, but to me, he seemed positively perfect.

“Brick is going to mate with an Alpha?” I mused, quietly. “Where? When? Who?”

Logan watched me patiently, as if waiting for me to figure something out.

After a few moments, my eyes widened and I put my cup down a little too hard. “You don’t think… Mateo?”

“Well,” Logan began contemplatively. “I haven’t spoken to Mateo about it, but I have talked to your brother, and from what I understand, yes, Mateo and Brick… However, Mateo doesn’t seem to be as on board with the concept as Brick is.”

“But, how? Why?” I was so confused.

First, Gilly had been lying all this time about being fated to be with Mateo, and I understood it was because they knew they weren’t and she’d been worried about being shipped off to another pack to be with a different Alpha. But, I’d never wondered why Mateo had been willing to go along with it.

Could it be because he was gay and knew Brick was his mate, but didn’t want to accept it?

Suddenly, my vision blurred and heat suffused my veins.

“That son of a bitch,” I seethed angrily. “He thinks he’s too good for my brother?”

Logan reached out and placed his hand over mine, the gesture, somehow, instantly calming me down.

“I think it’s more complicated than that,” Logan began softly.

“How so?” I asked, my heart bleeding for my brother. I couldn’t imagine knowing that Logan was my mate, and having him deny me. It would kill.

“Mateo is pretty young for an Alpha, and although he’s already proven that he’s going to do great things for his pack, I’m sure he still feels the need to prove himself. From what I’ve gathered, there hasn’t historically been a lot of diversity in your pack. And by that, I mean same-sex mates, and interspecies mates. Coming out is hard enough, but coming out as the Alpha in pack that’s a little more old school than most, is a terrifying thought. What if the pack revolts and takes him out? You know, there’s only one way to overthrow an alpha, in any species, unless they’ve served their time and a new generation is stepping up… death.”

“But, if they’re mates, how can they stand to be apart?” I asked, the thought physically painful.

“I have no doubt that it’s the hardest thing in the world,” Logan replied, squeezing my hand gently, and I knew he was thinking about what it would be like if he had to leave me. “But, I’m sure Mateo thinks he is protecting Brick, as well as his position. It’s not like he could choose his mate over his position and run away, he’s too honorable for that. So, his choices are to come out and risk not only losing his position, but his life, or pretending that he hasn’t found his mate, and that he was helping Gilly out all of these years as a friend.”

I listened to what he said, let it sink in, and processed it before saying, “I don’t think our pack is as ignorant as Mateo is assuming. Sure, we’ve never had a gay Alpha, or a gay couple, in the past, but that doesn’t mean that our people will shun them, or for God’s sake, kill Mateo. Yes, we still have the elders who are set in their ways, but the council would have his back… Max would have his back. The pack loves Mateo and what he’s done as their Alpha, I think if he’d give them the chance, they’d surprise him.”

“I hope you’re right,” Logan said, rubbing his thumb over my hand. “But we can’t force Mateo to do something he isn’t ready to do. It’s a decision that he, and Brick, have to make on their own.”

“That sucks,” I murmured.

“Speaking of… have you eaten your fill, because there are a few things I’d like to suck, but I want to make sure you’re no longer hungry.”

At his words, my blood heated again, but not from anger this time. Images of him sucking on my breasts, then on my clit filtered through my head, and I was no longer hungry for food. In fact, I had the immediate urge to do a little sucking of my own.

“I’m full,” I replied huskily, causing his eyes to darken.

Logan rose from the table, his hand still on mine, and urged me to stand as well. Once I was on my feet, I rounded the table and he gave my hand a little tug. I went freely to him, my body colliding with his, and my head tilting back to offer him my lips.

Logan accepted my offer and lowered his head until his mouth brushed softly against mine, and I opened for him, gasping when the kiss turned from gentle to hungry. I could tell the moment Logan’s animal took over and all thoughts of sucking and savoring went out the window.

I matched his fervor with my own, grasping and clutching, and finally lowering my hand into his waistband and taking his large cock in my palm. I fisted him and began stroking his length as hard and fast as I could, my movements meeting his own hurried, practically frantic ministrations.

With a growl, he bucked into my grasp, then turned me swiftly and bent me over onto the table we’d just been eating at. The cool air hit my bare bottom as my t-shirt was pushed up, and I heard a rumble emit from Logan’s chest at the sight.

Logan’s hand moved from my ass to my clit, then through my wet pussy, ensuring I was ready for him, and causing me to rear back at the glorious sensation. He entered me with one deep stroke, causing us both to yell out.

I cried out and met his thrusts as he fucked me hard and good. One hand on my hip, the other on my clit, it didn’t take long for me to call out his name as I gripped the edge of the table and came.

Logan followed soon after, his teeth once again finding that place at the base of my neck and triggering another, more intense orgasm. Once we were both left gasping, coming down from euphoria, I felt him gently lick the bite on my shoulder, then lay a soft kiss there.